Mounting structure for roof rack support members

Abstract

The roof of an automotive vehicle is provided with a pair of rails each of which has an upwardly facing slot. A pair of roof rack bars are each provided with an upwardly facing slot and a downwardly facing slot. A pair of roof engaging foot brackets are connected to opposite ends of each bar. A pair of angle members are secured to each bar. A pair of threaded studs extends through clearance holes in each angle member. The lower ends of the studs have enlarged heads which are inserted in the upper slot in a rail and turned into locking position. The upper ends of the studs are provided with flats to indicate the position of the heads. First nuts are threaded on the upper ends of the studs and have spherical surfaces engaging spherical surfaces on the angle members. Cotter pins fit within slots in the first nuts and holes in the angle member. Second nuts are threaded on the lower ends of the studs to engage and hold rail engaging members in position. Padlocks engage security members to prevent the device from being disengaged from the rails. Each security member includes a pin which is received within a slot in one of the first nuts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Mounting structure for roof rack support members adapted to be connected to rails attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, rigid means connected to each of said support members for movement therewith and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, force transmitting means for engaging each of said rails and force applying means operatively connected to each of said force transmitting means and operatively engaging said rigid means for forcing said rigid means and the connected support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of said automotive vehicle, said force transmitting means comprising a plurality of elongated threaded members and said force applying means comprising a plurality of complementary threaded members in threaded engagement with said elongated threaded members, said complementary threaded members having slots formed therein, said rigid means having holes formed therein, and retainer means disposed within said holes and said slots for retaining said complementary threaded members in position relative to said rigid means. 
     
     
       2. Mounting structure for roof rack support members adapted to be connected to rails attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, rigid means connected to each of said support members for movement therewith and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, force transmitting means for engaging each of said rails, and force applying means operatively connected to each of said force transmitting means and operatively engaging said rigid means for forcing said rigid means and the connected support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of said automotive vehicle, a security member having first and second holes formed therethrough, said rigid means having a security hole formed therethrough, a lock having a shackle, said first hole receiving said force transmitting means, said second hole and said security hole receiving said shackle for preventing the mounting structure from being disengaged from said rails. 
     
     
       3. Mounting structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said security member has a pin connected thereto, said complementary threaded members having slots formed therein for receiving said pin. 
     
     
       4. Mounting structure for roof rack support members adapted to be connected to rails attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, each of said support members having an upper slot and a lower slot formed therein, roof engaging support means adjustably mounted in said lower slot of each of said support members, rigid members connected to spaced portions of each of said support members for movement therewith and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, threaded studs having a head at one end for engaging the rails attached to the roof of the other end of said automotive vehicle, said rigid members having clearance holes formed therethrough, the other end of said studs extending through said clearance holes, and threaded nuts threaded on said other end of said threaded studs, said nuts operatively engaging said rigid means for forcing said rigid means and the connected support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of said automotive vehicle, and including retainer means comprising cotter pins, said nuts each having a plurality of slots formed therein, said rigid members having retainer holes formed therethrough, each of said cotter pins being received within one of said slots and one of said retainer holes when the retainer means is in a retaining position to prevent movement of said nuts about said threaded studs. 
     
     
       5. Mounting structure as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said cotter pins has an pair of legs, one of said legs having an offset portion preventing the cotter pin from inadvertently passing through the associated retainer hole. 
     
     
       6. Mounting structure for roof rack support members adapted to be connected to rails attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, each of said support members having an upper slot and a lower slot formed therein, roof engaging support means adjustably mounted in said lower slot of each of said support members, rigid members connected to spaced portions of each of said support members for movement therewith and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, threaded studs having a head at one end for engaging the rails attached to the roof of said automotive vehicle, said rigid members having clearance holes formed therethrough, the other end of said studs extending through said clearance holes, and threaded nuts threaded on said other end of said threaded studs, said nuts operatively engaging said rigid means for forcing said rigid means and the connected support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of said automotive vehicle, each of said nuts having a spherical surface thereon, said rigid members each having a spherical surface thereon surrounding a clearance hole therethrough, the spherical surface of each nut being in engagement with a spherical surface on a rigid member. 
     
     
       7. Mounting structure for roof rack support members adapted to be connected to rails attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, each of said support members having an upper slot and a lower slot formed therein, roof engaging support means adjustably mounted in said lower slot of each of said support members, rigid members connected to spaced portions of each of said support members for movement therewith and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, threaded studs having a head at one end for engaging the rails attached to the roof of said automotive vehicle, said rigid members having clearance holes formed therethrough, the other end of said studs extending through said clearance holes, and threaded nuts threaded on said other end of said threaded studs, said nuts operatively engaging said rigid means for forcing said rigid means and the connected support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of said automotive vehicle, and including a security member having first and second holes formed therethrough, said rigid member having a security hole formed therethrough, a lock having a shackle, said first hole receiving one of said studs, said second hole and said security hole receiving said shackle for preventing the mounting structure from being disengaged from said rails. 
     
     
       8. Mounting structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said security member has a pin thereon, each of said nuts having slots formed therein each of which is adapted to receive said pin therein. 
     
     
       9. In combination, a pair of rails for attachment to the roof of an automotive vehicle, said rails each having an upwardly facing slot formed therein and including side walls having interior and exterior surfaces, a mounting structure for roof rack support members comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, a pair of rigid members connected to each of said support members and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, each of said rigid members having a pair of spaced clearance holes formed therein, a plurality of threaded studs, each of said threaded studs extending through one of said clearance holes and having a head at one end thereof disposed within one of said rails for interengagement, a plurality of first threaded nuts, each of said first threaded nuts being threaded on one of said studs at the other end of said stud and engaging one of said rigid members for forcing said support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of the automotive vehicle, rail engaging means movably mounted on each of said studs having depending side walls for engaging and reinforcing said exterior surface of said side walls of the rails, and securing means operatively connected to said threaded studs and engaging said rail engaging means for drawing said rail engaging means downwardly toward said rail securing the rail engaging means in engagement with said rails, said securing means including a second plurality of threaded nuts, each of said second threaded nuts being threaded on one of said studs and engaging said rail engaging means. 
     
     
       10. Mounting structure as defined in claim 9 wherein said securing means includes an additional threaded stud passing through a clearance hole in said rail engaging means, and a further threaded nut on said additional stud, said further threaded nut engaging said rail engaging means. 
     
     
       11. In combination, a pair of rails for attachment to the roof of an automotive vehicle, said rails each having an upwardly facing slot formed therein and including side walls having interior and exterior surfaces, and a mounting structure for roof rack support members comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, a pair of rigid members connected to each of said support members and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, each of said rigid members having a pair of spaced clearance holes formed therein, a plurality of threaded studs, each of said threaded studs extending through one of said clearance holes and having a head at one end thereof disposed within one of said rails for interengagement, a plurality of first threaded nuts, each of said first threaded nuts being threaded on one of said studs at the other end of said stud and engaging one of said rigid members for forcing said support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of the automotive vehicle, rail engaging means movably mounted on each of said studs having depending side walls for engaging and reinforcing said exterior surface of said side walls of the rails, and securing means operatively connected to said threaded studs and engaging said rail engaging means for drawing said rail engaging means downwardly toward said rail securing the rail engaging means in engagement with said rails, and including retainer members for retaining each of said nuts in position, said nuts each having a plurality of slots formed therein, said rigid member having retainer holes formed therein, each of said retainer members being disposed within one of said slots and one of said retainer holes. 
     
     
       12. In combination, a pair of rails for attachment to the roof of an automotive vehicle, said rails each having an upwardly facing slot formed therein and including side walls having interior and exterior surfaces, and a mounting structure for roof rack support members comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, a pair of rigid members connected to each of said support members and being spaced from said roof engaging support means, each of said rigid members having a pair of spaced clearance holes formed therein, a plurality of threaded studs, each of said threaded studs extending through one of said clearance holes and having a head at one end thereof disposed within one of said rails for interengagement, a plurality of first threaded nuts, each of said first threaded nuts being threaded on one of said studs at the other end of said stud and engaging one of said rigid members for forcing said support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of the automotive vehicle, rail engaging means movably mounted on each of said studs having depending side walls for engaging and reinforcing said exterior surface of said side walls of the rails, and securing means operatively connected to said threaded studs and engaging said rail engaging means for drawing said rail engaging means downwardly toward said rail securing the rail engaging means in engagement with said rails, each of said nuts having a spherical surface thereon, said rigid members each having a spherical surface thereon surrounding each clearance hole formed therethrough, the spherical surface of each nut being in engagement with a spherical surface on a rigid member. 
     
     
       13. In combination, a pair of rails for attachment to the roof of an automotive vehicle, said rails each having an upwardly facing slot formed therein and including side walls having interior and exterior surfaces, and a mounting structure for roof rack support members comprising, a pair of spaced elongated support members, roof engaging support means connected to each of said support members for engaging the roof of said automotive vehicle, a pair of rigid members connected to each of said support members drawing said rail engaging means downwardly toward said rail, each of said rigid members having a pair of spaced clearance holes formed therein, a plurality of threaded studs, each of said threaded studs extending through one of said clearance holes and having a head at one end thereof disposed within one of said rails for interengagement, a plurality of first threaded nuts, each of said first threaded nuts being threaded on one of said studs at the other end of said stud and engaging one of said rigid members for forcing said support members downwardly to cause said roof engaging means to be moved into tight engagement with the roof of the automotive vehicle, rail engaging means movably mounted on each of said studs having depending side walls for engaging and reinforcing said side walls of the rails, and securing means operatively connected to said exterior surface of said threaded studs and engaging said rail engaging means for drawing said rail engaging means downwardly toward said rail securing the rail engaging means in engagement with said rails, and including a security member having first and second holes formed therethrough, said rigid member having a security hole formed therethrough, a lock having a shackle, said first hole receiving one of said studs, said second hole and said security hole receiving said shackle for preventing the mounting structure from being disengaged from said rails. 
     
     
       14. Mounting structure as defined in claim 13 wherein said security member has a pin thereon, each of said nuts having slots formed therein each of which is adapted to receive said pin therein.